Promise of Suffering
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”Luke 2:34-35
Merry Christmas again brothers and sisters! Today we celebrate the Fifth Day within the Octave of Christmas, so it is again Christmas Day!
When Joseph and Mary present Jesus in the Temple the prophet Simeon praises God in the words that we pray daily at night prayer, “Lord now You let Your servant go in peace. Your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation which You have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal You to the nations and the glory of Your people Israel.” Simeon recognized, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, that the Child brought to him is indeed the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, the Light of the world. Also, Simeon told Mary that this Child will be a sign that will be contradicted and that she herself a sword will pierce. The sufferings of Christ is joined by the sufferings of Mary. And we too are invited to join our sufferings with Jesus’ and Mary’s, a suffering that is redemptive and not without meaning.
As we continue with our walk of life and journey of faith, we will battle struggles and endure hardships, but we never do it alone — we don’t have to because Jesus walks with us, if we want Him to. When we join our sufferings to the Cross we know that it will bear fruit, fruit, as Christ said, that will last. Fruits that we might never know its effects, how it might free a soul from purgatory, strengthen a fellow brother or sister, or even save someone’s soul at the moment of death. The worth of our sufferings, brother and sisters, is invaluable. It is known to God alone, and we are told what we do in secret God will repay in secret.
Being Christian in 2021 and soon 2022 means that we will be persecuted. We will be mocked and laughed at because we believe in a God who seems fictional and useless in a world that has become estranged from God. And that is why we must continue to bear this light, the Light of Christ, in this world so that all might come to know Him, who is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Yes, as Christians we are promised sufferings but even more than that we are promised life, a life that is eternal, a life that makes all the suffering worth it. Don’t lose hope. Keep the faith. Embrace the suffering. And live the Life!
The Presentation of the Temple, 1648, Philippe de Champaigne
